Plymouth Argyle backed to sign ex-Oxford United man on free transfer | OneFootball

Tom Cleverley has been urged to sign Plymouth Argyle a 'high upside' free agent this summer as they bid to get out of League One...

In the eyes of many, Tom Cleverley's second full season in charge of Plymouth Argyle has to deliver an improvement on last term's eighth-place finish.

While narrowly missing out on the League One play-offs was a respectable effort immediately after relegation from the Championship, the Pilgrims will undoubtedly feel they left opportunities on the table. Their form during the latter stages of the campaign was particularly impressive, too.

They suffered just four defeats and drew only four times across their final 21 league matches. However, the damage had already been done. A disastrous start, which saw Plymouth lose 12 of their opening 18 league games, left them with far too much ground to make up. This summer therefore feels pivotal.

Cleverley must oversee a rebuild that strengthens key areas of the squad, and the free agent market could provide valuable opportunities. There is also a realistic chance that some of Plymouth's standout young performers attract Championship or even higher-level interest, meaning nailing incomings is essential if Argyle are to mount a serious promotion challenge again.

Plymouth Argyle's verdict as Oxford United release Myles Peart-Harris

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FLW's Argyle fan pundit Luke Hodge was asked, out of these potentially realistic free agent signings for Plymouth ahead of the summer, which one would you most like the Pilgrims to try and land and why?

He said: "The one player to me that stands out, probably because of his age or predominantly because of his age, is Myles Peart-Harris.

"Only 23 years old, so there's absolutely loads of room for development and improvement, which I think Argyle's coaching staff and Tom Cleverley have proved this year that they are quite capable to do that.

"When you look at Bim Pepple, Owen Oseni, and [Malachi] Boateng, plus [Lorent] Tolaj, they've all improved. So that is quite exciting and I think he'll tick boxes for them.

"The other thing as well is that he's 6'2", so he's quite tall and quite athletic. He's a versatile attacking player and an play all across the frontline, or at least in attacking roles, so that definitely ticks boxes as well.

"As I say, he's 23 years old, he's one of the youngest players on that list of free agents. He's high upside from that free agent list, for sure. I think Argyle could get him relatively cheap on wages as well.

"He'd bring energy, goals, assists from midfield, and potential resale value as well if he develops. Which is a big thing. It's very high up on Argyle's list. I think League One would suit him well for regular starts, too.

"After bouncing around with loans at higher levels, he's got experience in the third tier already. He performed decently in the Championship recently. I think he'd be a solid pick if Argyle are looking for youth in an attacking player, rather than veteran experience."

Myles Peart-Harris makes sense for Plymouth Argyle and Tom Cleverley

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Peart-Harris would be a smart addition for Plymouth as Cleverley looks to build a squad capable of challenging for promotion from League One against the likes of Leicester City, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City, and Sheffield Wednesday.

It's a league full of sharks and signing the attacking midfielder would stop rivals from pinching a player that possesses the technical quality, versatility, athleticism, and room to develop that would make him an excellent addition. Those raw attributes are needed to thrive in the third tier, while still having plenty of room for development at 23 years of age.

He is capable of operating centrally as a No.10, in deeper midfield roles, or from wider positions. That gives Cleverley valuable tactical flexibility across a long campaign. Importantly, Peart-Harris has already shown flashes of his potential during previous loan spells in the EFL and his brief recent stint with Oxford United.

That is why he could benefit from a permanent move where he is trusted with regular minutes. If Plymouth lose some of their more creative young talents this summer, he could help fill that void while also offering long-term resale value should he rediscover his best form.